Her Protector
by knightofdestiny
Summary: Eliwood never thought that he'd end up falling for a girl from the plains. Now he wanted to be the one who kept her safe. Now a three-shot, and the rating is for part three.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:I don't own Fire Emblem or any of it's characters(though I wish I did).

_Her Protector_

It was a deathly quiet night in the port town of Badon, but this didn't bother the red-headed noble making his way to the outskirts of town. In fact, he relished the fact that no one was up and around, for he wanted to be by himself anyway. He needed some time alone in order to think about all of the recent events that had occurred, and he figured the cool air would help him to do just that.

Eliwood stopped walking when he reached the wooded area surrounding Badon. Taking a seat on a large rock, he stared up at the starlit sky, letting his mind wander. Ever since he returned from the Dread Isle with the rest of the army, he hadn't been the same. At first, it seemed like it was because of the fact that he watched his father die, unable to do anything to save him. It was something that would mess with anyone, so he should've expected to feel different inside. However, as he took the time to give it some thought, Eliwood realized that that wasn't the problem. His father's death did indeed bother him, but it wasn't the thing that changed him. In fact, his own feelings were what had changed, his feelings for someone who had become quite close to him.

He met her some time ago, about a year before his journey began. He had helped her out when she needed it, and according to her, probably saved her life because he did so. Eliwood didn't give it too much thought after that time, but when he helped her again, saved her life again, he couldn't help but feel that it was fate that they met in the first place. Now, as he sat under the stars, he wondered if she felt that way too. If so, then perhaps he could tell her how he had come to feel about her.

"Eliwood, are you okay?" came a female voice. Eliwood, who had gotten off the rock and was now laying on the grass, sat up. In the moonlight he saw that it was Lyn, probably worried about him. He assumed she followed him from the town.

"Yes, I'm fine. I hope you aren't worrying about me again. I'm not as weak as you may think."

"I don't think you're weak. Why would you say such a thing?"

"I just expect people to think that about me. I'm not the strongest in our army, as I'm sure you've noticed. Many of the others are always trying to stay near me in battle, waiting to step in and save my life when necessary. It's quite annoying, actually."

Lyn walked over and sat down next to Eliwood. He twitched slightly as she sat, but Lyn didn't notice.

"I'm not worried about how you do in battle. I've seen you fight, and I know that you are perfectly capable of protecting yourself. I'm worried about how you're feeling about losing your father."

"I already told you how I feel. There is no time to grieve while Nergal is out there. Once we deal with him, then I'll worry about grieving for my father."

"I see. Well, I guess I'll leave you to your thoughts if you're okay." Lyn started to get up.

"Lyndis, wait a moment," Eliwood said. He realized that this was his best chance to talk to Lyn about what he was feeling. If he was to march on and fight, he needed to get his feelings off of his chest.

"What is it, Eliwood?"

"May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why do you believe we met?"

Lyn was quiet for a moment as she considered the question.

"I don't have the faintest idea. I am glad that we met, though."

"I believe that fate brought us together."

"Fate? Isn't that a little extreme?"

"No, it's not. I truly think that our paths crossed because fate intervened."

"Eliwood, why do you believe that?"

"I just do. I can't explain it."

Lyn looked at him quizzically, but Eliwood ignored the look and took a deep breath, preparing for what he was about to say.

"Lyndis," he started. "I've met many women, but you are special. There is something about you that I don't see in anyone else. It's so entrancing."

"Eliwood, what are you saying?" Lyn asked, bedazzled by Eliwood's sudden statement.

"You are so strong, and so full of spirit. I've known this for a while, but I haven't really given it any thought until recently. Back on the island, I watched you defeat foe after foe, and as I watched you fight, I realized that if anything happened to you, I would miss that strength, that spirit, and I wouldn't be able to go on."

Lyn just looked at him, unable to say anything, her face turning red.

"I have no idea how you feel about me, or what you might feel about the other men around us, but I must ask you one thing. Please allow me to be your protector in this journey of ours. If something happens to you, it would be the end of me. I would rather die in your place than see you fall. So please, tell me you will allow me to use my sword to protect you."

Lyn's face was quite red now. She hadn't expected to hear anything of the sort, especially from Eliwood. Nevertheless, she didn't need a lot of time to think on it. Throughout their travels, the two were together often, fighting alongside each other on the battlefield and even sharing a conversation or two while in the middle of a hectic battle. She had come to trust Eliwood completely, and now that she thought about it, it was possible that she had feelings for him. While Lyn wasn't entirely sure of what she felt in her heart, she was determined to sort it all out.

"Eliwood, I would be honored to have you be my protector," she said.

Eliwood let out a huge sigh, grateful that Lyn was giving him this chance.

"I won't let you down, Lyndis. I swear it."

"That's great, but just don't overdo it. I'm still capable of taking care of myself."

"Of course. I'll only step in when necessary."

"Good. Now, may I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Do you really think I'm special?"

"Yes, I do."

"But I'm just a simple girl from the plains."

"Maybe so, but you're still special to me."

"You are too sweet, you know that?"

Lyn moved in to give Eliwood a kiss, initially aiming for his cheek, but changed her target and went right for his lips at the last moment. She held the kiss for a good minute before breaking away and getting up.

"I think I'll head back now. Don't stay out here for too long."

Eliwood watched her walk away, wishing their kiss hadn't ended, but realizing that it was the start of what he felt would be quite the romance. The coming battles would have to be survived if he could spend the rest of his days with her, though, and to ensure that she made it through them, he would have to concentrate on his newest duty.

Being her protector.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been nearly a month since Eliwood had first spoken to Lyn about his feelings, and he was starting to wonder if it had been a good idea to do so. Ever since their conversation, Lyn seemed to be avoiding him whenever she could. When she needed someone to spar with, she asked Hector to be her partner, which she rarely did before, and when the army wasn't in battle, she spent her time with other members of the group. In fact, the only time the two were close to each other was on the battlefield, where Eliwood kept her safe as best he could, while also allowing her to handle some situations on her own. It wasn't easy deciding when to step in, as Lyn could be quite hard-headed, and she got into minor arguments with Eliwood more than a few times concerning her ability to fight. Despite all this, Eliwood kept telling himself that everything was going to be alright, yet he continued to have a nagging thought that he had screwed up. Perhaps he was too forward with his confession, or maybe Lyn was just unsure of what she was going to do. Either way, it was slowly starting to bother Eliwood.

As he sat in his tent, trying to figure out what Lyn was thinking, he was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Marcus.

"My lord, we are preparing to move out. Lord Hector sent me to retrieve you."

"Thank you, Marcus. I'll be ready in a moment," Eliwood responded. Marcus left with a curt nod, although a slight frown flashed across his face for a second. Eliwood caught it, and he knew what Marcus was thinking. The army was camped just outside of a cave where the Archsage Athos said the legendary sword, Durandal, was said to be kept. When they had first reached the cave, Eliwood had decided to bring only a few sturdy warriors with him, upon the Archsage's advice. Marcus wasn't one of the people who Eliwood had chosen, though he put up quite an argument about it being an unwise decision. In the end, Marcus dropped the matter, but wasn't particularly happy about it. The group consisted of Eliwood, Hector, Dart, Pent, Wil, and Lyn. Initially, Eliwood refused to let her come, but the prospect of another shouting match with her over the matter wasn't appealing. The good thing about it, however, was that it gave Eliwood hope that Lyn hadn't decided to reject him. There was a possibility that she simply wanted to be able to protect him as well, if the time came. Though he didn't know it, that had been Lyn's very thought since that night outside Badon.

Lyn fumbled around with her satchel, trying to determine what items to bring with her into the cave. She had already thrown in a few elixirs and two speedwings just in case, but now she was wondering if she should add anything else. In truth, she didn't really care about adding any other items, but it was a quick way to get her mind off of other things, namely Eliwood. The night he had confessed his feelings to her was one of the most confusing nights Lyn had ever lived through. Even now, she wasn't entirely convinced that it actually happened, although she distinctly remembered kissing him. She also remembered staying up all night in her room at the inn, desperately trying to wrap her mind around the whole experience.

It had been like a dream, albeit one she didn't know if she liked or even wanted to have. Lyn sat up for over an hour, simply staring at the fireplace, all the while thinking about what Eliwood said about their meeting being fate. When he first said it, Lyn was sure he was just overreacting, but the more she gave it some thought, the more plausible it sounded. After all, if it hadn't been for him, she have most likely been killed by a neighboring province that her uncle, Lundgren, would have had do his bidding. Eliwood managed to ensure neutrality from these provinces, giving Lyn a clear shot to the castle. Then, a year later, he showed up again to aid her, possibly saving her life yet again. It all seemed to come together a little too well to be coincidence. Of course, her own feelings played a significant part in everything. Did she feel for him like he felt for her? It was hard to say, seeing as she hadn't really ever saw him as anything other than a close friend, but the more she dwelled on it, the more she realized that she spent a lot of time with him, most of it not even concerning anything remotely important. They always talked about everyday things, such as their favorite foods, what they liked to do with their free time, even their favorite colors. She always found it so easy to talk to him about whatever came to mind, and even when they ran out of things to say, she could sit with him in silence without feeling awkward. In fact, she recalled several occasions where they watched the sunset without ever saying a single word to each other, yet she knew exactly what he was thinking. It dawned on her at that moment that Eliwood was someone that she truly cared for and couldn't bear to lose. So she made a promise to herself. She vowed to be his protector as he was hers, but to do so without acting rashly, she also vowed to keep her distance. Letting her feelings run the show could be disastrous, so she would only be with him in battle, close enough to jump in and save his life if need be. Outside of a fight, she had to remain distant, just until they defeated Nergal. After that, she'd be able to embrace him, to tell him how she felt, to see how her life would unfold.

Lyn shook herself out of her reverie as Eliwood walked up to the group. With only a firm nod to them, he led the way into the cave, prepared for the worse. Lyn followed a few steps behind him, praying that their journey would come to a close soon.


End file.
